Carlo Ratti Keynote Speaker

Leading Italian architect, engineer, inventor and educator
Founded and directs the MIT SENSEable city lab
Highlighted in Wired Magazine's "Smart List: 50 people who will change the world"

Carlo Ratti's Biography

Carlo Ratti is an architect and engineer. He practises in Italy and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he directs the SENSEable City Lab. Here, he explores the “real-time city” by studying the way sensors and electronics relate to the built environment, and how new technologies are changing the way we understand, design and ultimately live in cities.

Carlo has co-authored over 200 papers and holds several patents. His work has been exhibited worldwide at well-known venues such as the Venice Biennale or The Museum of Modern Art in New York. His Digital Water Pavillion at the 2008 World Expo was hailed by Time magazine as one of the Best Inventions of the Year.

Carlo was named one of the “50 most influential designers in America” by Fast Company, highlighted in Wired Magazine’s “Smart List: 50 people who will change the world, named on Esquire magazine’s “Best and Brightest” list and in Forbes magazine’s list of “Names You Need to Know” in 2011.

One of his most famous projects is the Copenhagen Wheel, which was unveiled in 2009 at the COP15 United Nations Climate Conference. It transforms ordinary bicycles quickly into hybrid e-bikes that also function as mobile sensing units. The Copenhagen Wheel allows the energy dissipated while cycling and braking to be captured and saved for when a bit of a boost is needed. The Copenhagen Wheel went commercial in June 2011.

He operates at the frontier of urban innovation at MIT’s SENSEable City Lab, showing leaders how real-time data and sensing technologies are reshaping how cities are designed and managed.
He translates complex advances in sensors, mobility and digital infrastructure into clear implications for planners, policymakers and businesses investing in the future of cities.
He combines rigorous research with proven invention, holding patents and delivering iconic projects like the Copenhagen Wheel that turn urban tech into practical, scalable solutions.
He brings global creative authority from major exhibitions and recognition, helping audiences rethink sustainability, resilience and quality of life through the lens of the built environment.